NOTES RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3101, 20 August 1913, Page 14

NOTES RURAL TOPICS.

In his annual report to the Corporation of Olasgow the "Veterinary Inspector makes a prominent point of the fact that only i u , 0 of those cows affected with such diseases as arc scheduled under the Act or tuberculous in the udder can be destroyed by order as unfit for ■human food. Apparently the list is not sufficiently comprehensive to please the inspector, who considered that a -rave defect, as the cow is subject to many additional diseases whith render her milk a dangerous food. Jo this fact ho attributes the sacrifice of much human life. One of the most common troubles which cows arc subject to is inflammation of the udder—or, technically, mastitis,—and the milk drawn from such aii animal was highly dangerous when used as food. Ho thought the apathy of , o authorities was beyond conception lamentable. It was, says the Scottish Farmei, our proud boast that in no other country m the world was human life hold m such high regard; hut a very superfiend inquiry would suffice to show that the reverse was the case, as in no other country was fho slaughter of the innocents permitted with so much sang froid. While the perpetrator of a brutal murder was brought tq justice, ‘the dispenser of deathdealing microbes' in our milk supplies was not only permitted by law to go scot free, but to add insult to injury by charging the full market value for his vile mixture f 5 i w . cre a pure, wholesome food. buch strictures do not say much for Glasgow, inspection. The wonder is wo were not all poisoned ages ago. The question of legislating for the control of milkproduction as well as for that of transport and distribution is hedged round with innumerable difficulties not easily overcome. Many of them arc only capable of being treated effectively by educating the dairyman to a proper realisation of the importance of hygienic treatment throughout their work. Medical men will not have pasteurised milk for children at any price; yet that is one of the most rational means of killing microbes and protecting life. The Christchurch city fathers will find that distributing stations with every convenience that modern science can suggest will be difficult to keep chemically free from contaminating bacteria, and if they determine not to accept any milk not up to' the legal standard their supplies will at times run very short. It is significant, notwithstanding all complaints, that, bacteriologists demand raw milk for the institutions they are interested in. Dr King recently explained why that was so; but in the face of that tiie general public cannot help concluding that the danger of contracting disease by drinking the milk supplied by responsible dairymen is greatly exaggerated. Although no one contends that the drinking of milk is quite devoid of all risks, few believe that the milk produced from dairies subject to close inspection is so laden with disease germs as to imperil the lives of those who drink it. Intelligent inspection can easily cancel the license of anyone milkin- tuberculous cows. Most milk-suppliers to the city are jealous of their reputations, and do their best to keep their milk free from deleterious germs of any kind. We have advanced materially in the almost universal adoption of pasteurisation of the by-products of the factory. Healthier cattle and pigs should rowan! that course of action and sounder milk generally. It is recognised that the urgent need of legislation on the subject in this Dominion has almost disappeared in consequence of the voluntary action which lias already been taken by farmers to secure the health of their stock and the cleanliness of their premises and produce. Having taken these steps, the milk-supplier is entitled to this much protection—viz., that when serious charges like the above are hurled against him when he supplies the natural product of the cow, and such charges cannot he substantiated, he should receive compensation of some sort.

Dcatli-dealiic' Xierbes.

'Whatever may bo the ultimate success with lucerne in our comparatively cold climate, very optimistic references are made concerning its use for sheep by Australian writers. An enthusiast writing to the Adelaide Observer proposes to keep 2000 ewes on 100 acres. 75 acres of which are under irrigated lucerne, and hopes to secure I£oo fat lambs from them, and derive a. net income of £IO7O from them, rafter allowing 6 per cent, interest on a capital of £3O per acre and paying for his necessarv labour. That such an income may be derived at present prices from 2000_ewes running on a reasonable area of suitable country no one will question, but that 100 acres can bo made to carry such a number of breeding sheep successfully is hardly credible. Exaggerated statements of thin kind tend to give ft good fodder a bad name. It was pointed out last week that lucerne can boast of a sugar content of 8451 b per ton, but it is generally conceded that fond “fuel” and focal “material” are required in any successful food in ccrta : c

F**<‘dinir Slipep on Lucerne.

■well-defined proportions before it can bo Used by itself as the sole source of nour;shment. The proportions no more exist in lucerne fchan they do in turnips. In spite ©f that it has been proved in the warm South Australian climate that sheep will me fund thrive and produce excellent fleeces and healthy lambs on a ration of 11b of lucerne chaff per head per day when given access to fresh water and a salt lick. 'lhey would not do that in our climate. \\e know the disastrous result of closely folding owes on turnips, and keeping them there steam.\. and fail to see how any small area, ot land can carry a large number of sheep on lucerne hay or any other food without fouling. Unless a considerable run off is permitted unhealthy conditions wou d soon be set up, and fleece and increase would suiter. The experience of Mr Henshaw Jackson, quoted in the same paper, is much more likely to bo nearer the mark, and prove moro generally practicable under the most favourable conditions of climate and water supply. Ho says:-“Relatively to the effect of feeding on wool production, you may bo interested to know that I intend placing on exhibition at the forthcoming Royal Agricultural Show 10 fleeces from merino owes, bred on a. northern station, that I have been maintaining since November last on a ration of 11b of. chaff (partly lucoi nc) end ?.oz of copra cake a head a dav. Figures ! Well, it happens that by a. coincidence I wgs chatting on this very subject recently with a northern sheep-owner, and jottod down some details which occurred to me. These differ to some extent from those quoted, and vou will notice that I have taken a different basis respecting the land. I was only concerned to show the financial stability of the question from an investor’s point of view, and in making 50 acres of lucerne carry the whole burden of an outlay of £SOOO for land I think it shows tlie proposition in the most unfavourable light. Probably the moan between both sides would he correct, say, approximately a return, after paying all expenses, of £8 per acre. Of the 300 acres here mentioned there would be fully 150 acres available either for increasing the area under lucerne each year or for the production of other crops. By any of these means the returns from the total area would be augmented gradually until the whole portion was in full profit. These figures, however, should not be regarded as in any way conclusive, but it would bo comparatively easy for these with the means at hand, in the - ] shape of suitable land and water, to make a pratical test, and incidentally a profit. | Capital account—3oo acres, inc’uding 50 ] acres irrierable, at £lO, £5000; 1250 ewes, b 4 10s, £625; 50 rams, at £3. £150; engine ] and pumping plant, £500; preparation and seeding 50 acres lucerne, £100; sundries, j machinery, horses, harness, etc., £300; total, £4675. Expenditure per annum— j Cost of irrigating 50 aerps at £1 per acre. ( £SO; labour. £200; owner’s salary. £300; , interest, at 6 ner cent., on £4675. £2Bo; total, £B3O. Estimated income—l2so sheep, averaging 101 b of wool at 9J per lb net. '£46B 15s; 50 rams, averaging 151 b of wool at 8d per lb net, £25: 90 ner cent. lambs (1125), at 10s per head. £562 10s; —total. £1056 ss. Leaving a surplus of £226 55.” These figures show a profit which is not likely to be exceeded in any climate for any period longer than one season.

Tho sustaining nowor of well-saved hay when fed alone to stock is well exemplified in the ease of dairy cows, which do not fare badly in winter when they have nothing but sweet clover hay or bare iiasture.s. In the autumn there is always a suspension of the down grade in the milk supply when clover hay is used. Its fattening capacity has also boon well brought out in a number of sheep-feeding trials which have been conducted in Great Britain at various times between the years 1844 and 1909 on a large number of farms. These embraced 190 different combinations of fodder., nearly all of which were fed in tho open air, and therefore liable to be modified bv natural conditions of bad weather. They are therefore all the more Valuable on that account. Incidentally it is stated that in some cases the rations used were really maintenance rather than fattening ones, and the increases obtained were very small. These referred to a weekly ration of 22.8 ! b of meadow bay, 671 bof beans, and 18.51 b of hay; and 71b of barley with 18.11 bof bay; and some others. On tho first-mentioned quantity the sheep increased onlv half a pound per head per week over 32 weeks. How would they" have fared on lib of hay per tkv or 71b weekly? In 19 lots, comprising 444 sheep, clover bay formed part of the ration, the average weekly increase per head being 2J>!b. The average increase taken over the whole of the 190 lots was 2.151 h per week. Similar advantages have been olvta : ncd with cattle when hav formed part of ihe ration. Tho concluding remark in regard to clover bay is that the value of clover hiv as a constituent- of fording rations is again confirmed bv these experiments with sheep, and is worthy of attention.” Even with meadow bay, the addition of 21b nor head per week increasod the rate ef fattening. n»d led to a better utilisation of food. Twenty sheen were receiving 2.10!b of hi-«ncd cake. 2.101 bof barlev. and 160JN of swedes. and gained at the rate of 2.45!b nor week per head. With the addition of ?!K of hav each this gain was increased to 2.9'b per head per week.

Vain” offlorer Hsy for Sh ep.

The br«( riok-mo-np, (he best tonic beverage —Wolfe’s Schnapps.

During the sheen-feeding experiments men- | tioncd in the last note : Grain and Rosts several flockowners noticed I tor Sleep. that the addition of a ration of cereal food to sheep roI ceivmg as many roots as they would take diminished the consumption of turnips, and tfiis effect was more marked than leguminous food. Wheat .appeared to have given the best results, next came barley I and it products, brewery grain and malt, , followed by maize, while oats unexpectedly 1 seemed to have yielded very poor results. The latter proved unsuccessful as food for fattening sheep, although in some oases fair increases had been obtained. This should ; make oats all the more valuable for ewes with lambs at foot and requiring concentrated milk food. These experiments were conducted on a largo number of farms and i with nearly 2900 sheep. Barley gave much j bettor increase than oats, but apparently | when used in large Quantities had an in- ! jurious effect upon lioalth. Whole grain i was found to bo relished by some lots better than barley meal. Roots almost invariably formed tho bulk of the successful ration, and the increase on mangolds was over ilb per week per head greater than tho increase on swedes, and indicated a decided superiority for mangolds. In the few' lots in which roots were omitted altogether tho increase in live-weight was small—viz., 1.291 b per head per week The greatest weekly gain per head was scoured by sheep receiving the largest ration of roots mixed with hay and gftss.. but Dr Voelcker states that those receiving a smaller amount of roots made their increase with tho consumption of less total digestible matter. In order to partly eliminate tho influence of size of animal and to render the results fairly comparable with each other, the rations of roots per week per 1001 b of live weight were calculated, and it was found that ICOlb of roots per 1001 b of live weight per week was the most successful in fattening—say 141 h per head daily for a 1001 b sheep, 121 b daily for a 841 b sheep. The quantities of grain utilised by many of tho flockowners who sent in returns ranged from 21b to 61b per week, and of linseed cake from 2jlb to for the same time. There was a general agreement ns to tho high value of linseed cake for feeding sheep. Tho sheep using it killed better than the others, and showed a higher percentage of carcase to live weight. AGRICOLA. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. By Agricola. “Halfbrcd” writes: —“A common trouble with ewes fed on turnips is for tho lamb to die before being born, though in this case ; the ewe has had no turnips, but tho symptoms of trouble are similar. Have known ewes to lio in pain—not east—for a week, and the lamb sometimes comes away, or rather just appears at the vagina, in a putrid con- ' dition. What I wish to know is. Can a ewe be treated when soon in this condition? Is there a method by which tho lamb could bo aborted before the ewe becomes too j weak. Trusting the above is clear to you j and can be favourably answered.”

“Shepherd Boy” answers.your question as follows:—“When a ewe is about to abort she appears dull, stupid, and listless, loses her appetite, and is wont to isolate herself from tier companions. There are numerous causes for abortion, prominent among which may bn enumerated: —Crowding through narrow doorways, being thrown for tho purpose of having their feet attended to, and eating of frozen rations, such as rape, turnips, cabbage, kale, etc. Great losses have been chronicled through abortion being brought on from the effects of overdoses of salt. As scon as tho ewe shows symptoms of aborting she should be relieved of the dead lamb without delay: this is necessary to avoid blood-poisoning. When performing the operation the operator should bo careful that his hands are free from wounds, as more than one good shepherd has lost his life through carelessness in such matters. In any and all cases it would bo well, as a precaution, to lubricate the hands with an antiseptic agent, such as carbolisc-d oil or carbolic soap. When removing a dead lamb from a owe tho patient should lie placed on her back, as when placed in this position tho work is more easily performed. Tho task of removing the dead lamb is usually slow and tedious; therefore it becomes necessary, for the comfort of tho owe, to change her position occasionally. No undue strain should lie brought to bear upon tho ewe during her deliverance, and the shepherd should not pull, only in sympathy with her straining. Sometimes dt is found almost impossible to remove tho lamb without first dissecting it. In no case is it so easy to remove a dead lamb as it is a live one. Sometimes abortion appears in the flock in epidemic’ form; but this is more often duo to errors in feeding than to contagious disorder. It is advisable to remove all aborting animals from the flock, and the dead foetus should be destroyed by fire. The ewe should receive an injection, of warm solution of carbolic acid twice a day for several days after the lamb is taken from her. Care should bo exercised that tho placenta be removed from her, or tho chances are she will succumb to bloodpoisoning. A weak solution of 1 of carbolic acid to 60 of warm water should be strong enough.”

“Inquirer” writes: — -“(I) Every season, for the past three years, we have planted among, other varieties. a few White Elephant potatoes, these being very

■ early. The first year they were > apparently quite healthy; but both last 1 season’s and those of tho year previous dci vclopcd brown rings and spots, the disease ■ becoming more pronounced ns tho season ! advapeed. Any tubers affected —and there 1 were very many—were wholly unfit for fo..J. i In some places the tops drooped slightly. > Very few of tho tubers, however, showed ■ any outward indication of the disease; but, , on being cut, the brown rings were goner- • ally revealed, though, again, in some the unhealthy condition was only found on their • being cooked, when they would develop a • distinctive soapy appearance with - a darkl ened colour and a disagreeable flavour, i Those unaffected were very white and good eaters, and not rough or coarse, as one i might suppose from the name. Each season we procured now seed, and last time it was dipped in 'sickle brand’ formalin, and only a small proportion planted in the ground where the potatoes of the previous season had been affected. No other variety, ■ though in close proximity, seemed to contract tho disease. (2)' I would like to know whether it is peculiar to the White Elo- | pliant, what tho cause is, and if it may bo | removed, or if you can recommend another equally good early potato with greater disease-resisting properties. I may add that wo are almost 2000 ft above sea level, and disease of any sort is not common with us. (3) Then, with regard to White Star, a few of which we grew last year, I would very much like to know why they should have developed a sweetness, though otherwise quite healthy and good croppers. So far as I know, they were not unduly oxI posed to the frost, and they show no sign .of shrivelling or of having been frosted apart from the sweetness, though, on the other hand, tho fact that the sweetness is lessened by putting them on to oook in cold water seems to suggest a touch of frost.” Mr T. W. Kirk states that, “brown rot of potatoes is found in New Zealand, although up to tho present in few localities, j and has not as yet been tiie cause of much ! damage. . . . Tho disease fir'st causes the foliage to wilt, individual plants in tho field suddenly turning yellow, and at a later stage the leaves and branches turn brown and die off. . . . The disease passes down the stem and enters the tubers, sotting up a brown or black rot. Infection takes place in two ways. If slightly diseased tubers are used—and tho disease will not bo noticed unless the tubers arc cut, when a discoloured ring will be noted—the bacteria are able to directly infect the growing portions of the plant." Tho disease lias also been proved to be transmitted from plant to plant through the agency of leafeating insects feeding on affected plants, i This is a very interesting instance of how important it is to thoroughly know tho various methods of infection, as wo have here a simple means of checking tho spread of the by spraying for leaf-eating , insects”—i.o;, poisoning the leaf surface , ; with Bordeaux mixture and Paris green, or something of that kind. That seems to fit your case; but the importance of the matter ■ to you demands that you should confirm it j and get all tho information you can about j it by sending a note and a diseased sample • ! to “the Government Biologist,” Welling- | ton. You say you change your seed, but you do not state whether tho seed is pro- j cured from some of your neighbours or ! from another, district. There arc two i varieties on the market called White Elephant, one being American, which is rcallv only good for feeding pigs. Tho English . variety is rather old, as it has now been i . on the market for over 20 rears, and is | 1 probably “running out.” Tho fincst-quality 1 I Potatoes like British Queen or Sir John i Llewellyn aro rarely grown for market pur- ! poses, because they aro not heavy croppers; ! but that does not apply for home use No variety is immune from the attack of ' disease. Some of "them may bo more resistant than others, but in a had year they all go under. (3) Seedsmen consulted gay ■ they have never heard of the White Star potato, and are therefore not familiar with its properties. They think the sweet tado , must bo the result of a touch of frost